A 23-year-old college student was arrested for allegedly posting objectionable comments against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and revealing the identity of the trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at a Kolkata hospital.
Kolkata Police arrested Kirti Sharma from her home in Lake Town on Sunday. It is alleged that she shared three Instagram stories related to the rape and murder of the 31-year-old woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
According to the police, her posts disclosed the picture and identity of the rape victim, which is a punishable offence.
Additionally, Sharma is accused of sharing two stories containing "offensive comments" and threats directed at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The police claim the posts were "provocative in nature" and had the potential to incite social unrest and promote hatred among communities.
A complaint was filed at a police station in Kolkata, leading to an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Bharat Nyay Sanhita. Following the complaint, a police team arrested Sharma on Sunday afternoon.
Sharma is set to be produced before a sessions court today.
The arrest comes against the backdrop of widespread outrage and protests by the medical fraternity over the doctor’s brutal rape and murder.
Previously, Kolkata Police issued summonses to former BJP MP Locket Chatterjee and two top doctors for allegedly spreading rumours and disclosing the identity of the woman doctor.
Apart from these three, the police also issued summonses to 57 others for spreading wrong information about the incident, a police official said.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal said last week that there has been a lot of rumour-mongering over the case, which has affected their investigation and posed threat to law and order.
